Getting Closer......

Jelster

Jelster

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Steve
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Right, further to this thread I've been out & bought some camouflage netting. I have some old fishing gear, and the idea came to me that I could probably use my old lightweight chair and a couple of large bank sticks to form a sort of portable hide.

Without any further ado....

Back
hide03.jpg


Side
hide02.jpg


Front
hide01.jpg


I'd like to get feedback on whether it will do the job. The net is doubled over so it's twice the length shown here (4m x 1.5m).

Cheers,
Steve
 
I can't see any reason why that wont work Steve. The main thing is to get under there, get comfortable and keep still. I don't think it would matter a jot what colour the sheet is in practice - i've chucked old blankets in quite bright colours over me at a pinch n the past and the cammo isn't really effective in your garden environment anyway by the look of it, but it matters not.

It's just getting the birds used to seeing it - set it up and leave it out for a while before you use it.
 
CT said:
It's just getting the birds used to seeing it - set it up and leave it out for a while before you use it.
Click to expand...

It's been left up all day actually (well, from midday anyway). I'll stick it back out tomorrow, and I may make use of my my old, but huge, fishing umbrella. I can drape the netting off of it and it'll give more room.

I can sit there with a flask of tea & my iPad :lol:

Steve
 
Getting comfortable is the biggest challenge, sitting for maybe two hours straight on a small chair or stool is no mean feat. As well as that surely your head will be sticking up at the back as a sort of third support for the cloth? Any movement of your head will probably alert the wildlife.
 
Good to see this Steve :thumbs: Like Cedric mentions leave it out and they will get used to it in no time at all. What kind of distance will you be shooting at now Steve? Also just remember to position it maybe the night before depending on what time of day you will be going out, so that the light is behind you falling on the subject. Not telling you how to suck Eggs but it is sometimes all to easy to forget a couple of things once you are dug in :lol::lol: A little trolley on wheels tied to some string might prove worthwhile :thumbs: Have the trolley parked up outside the door, phone her indoors to order your Bacon Butty and she can load up the trolley :D
 
OK, so I have now given the idea a full 2 hour session. One modification I did make was to add a support at the back to lift the netting above my head. I always did intend to do this, but was wondering what to use as a support. I ended up using an old Manfrotto 784B lightweight tripod, which did the trick nicely.

It has now got me to about 15ft from the feeders, about 20ft from their main perching opportunities. A couple of things that need a bit of work:

1) The "Jack Pike" camo netting that I'm using could really do with being twice as thick as some birds did notice movement inside on occasion.

2) I need to sort a better way of getting the lens out of the netting as I had a Robin land quite close to me but I couldn't manipulate the camera into the right position.

It's not as uncomfortable as it may look. Getting in and out of the chair is a PIA because it is so low, and because of a previous knee injury I have a few problems, but generally I was fine.

I eventually set the tripod up with the legs splayed quite wide, with one leg directly in front of me and the other two under my legs. This brought the camera closer to me, reducing my need to move.

I also had with me a bottle of water, and my iPad for when it got quiet. However I had great fun using the "Bird Guide" app, playing the call to a Robin that came to feed. He was responding, and hopping all around the garden looking for "me" :lol:

Next time out I will be moving the hide closer to the tree where the birds perch before feeding. I can't set up the night before as I'm using my front garden - I have no trees out the back and get very little bird activity. I'm still shooting with my 70-200 f2.8 on my 7D.

Steve
 
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Great idea, need to try something like this myself :-)

Something I have read before is that birds can be quite clever and realise people have gone into a hide hut not come out. Apparently though, if two people together go to the hide and one leaves, that will fool them!

If they are taking a while coming, you could always get the the other half to walk out with you and then head back in once you have got in?

Cheers
Steve
 
why have so much fabric at the back..?

it's the tripod legs [black is not normal in a garden] and your feet you want to hide

you 'will' need to move your feet for circulation

did a lot of duck-hunting from a blind - you can actually use open-weave camo netting over your head - so you can see - as long as your outline is broken up

good shooting - er, camera that is..!
 
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